Smyrna times., 1887-12-28
A Wonderful Boy Preacher.
PASCAL PORTER, OF INDIANA, IS THE
MARVEL OF ALL WHO HEAR HIM.

4. Is it simply a wonderful feat of men,
Orizing or is it inspiration? is the ques-
ton every one who has heard Pascal
Porter, the boy preacher, is asking.
This prodigy is a product of Jefferson
county, and is not eleven years old.
When not in the pulpit he is the most
ordinary of boys, possessing nothing
that would distinguish him from hun
dreds of other boys seen throughout
the country. In fact, the cursOry OBJ
server would place him below the av-
erage of Indiana boys. While in
state of repOse, he is listless, with dull
looking eyes and expressionless coun-
tenance. He walks with an awkward,
shambling gait, not appearing to notice
those things which generally attract
the attention of boys of his age. Placed
with any dozen boys of his neighbOr-
hood he would be chosen out as the
stupid one of the lot. Yet this awk-
ward country boy, with his stumbling
gait, listless air and dull look is one of
the wonders of this century. He is a
preacher, and the leading preacher of
his peculiar sect, and if his sermons are
his own production he is the leading
preacher in Indiana of any denomina-
ton. He is a lecturer, and if his lee
lures are original, he is far ahead of
in this country. This may sound like
rhapsody, but it is the verdict of every
one who has heard him. He is plain
country boy, with little or no educa-
ton, and yet in his sermons and lee
lures, he uses language equal to the
most polished and cultured of the pres
ent day. His thoughts are those of
strong and original thinker, and his
words are we'll chosen and those of all
others that ought to have been used,
expressing his thoughts clearly and
strongly. His sermons are logical in
their arrangement and show wonder
full and most intimate acquaintance
with the holy Scriptures.
Not only do his sermons display an
intimate acquaintance with the Bible,
but with current history, and he takes
up and applies current events to eluci-
date and make plain his topic and en-
force his teachings. Nor is this all.
They display most remarkable COM
prehension of the Scriptures. When
he states proposition he backs it up
and enforces it with quotations from
the Bible that are exceedingly well
chosen for the purpose.
AS said, out of the pulpit he is the
most ordinary of boys, but when he
enters the sacred desk a transformation
takes place. His face lights up and
fairly glows. His dull eyes sparkle
with enthusiasm and intelligence.
His awkward and shutting manner
leaves him and he is a new creature.
When he prays it is with a simple,
childlike earnestness and deep pathos,
that melts al hearts. He prays as if
he were asking favors from one with
whom he was on terms of loving and
familiar intercourse. His God is one
who is not affair off. but who is very
near, and in whose love he has the
| supremest confidence. Hence he
prays to Him as such. His prayers, il
uttered in one of our city pulpits
would give the hearers new ideas o.
what the Saviour meant when he spoke
of those who should worship him il
the spirit. He announces his text il
the same earnest manner, and without
any apologies or attempts to show of
proceeds at once to elucidate his text
He breaches from his text, and in thi
differs from most of the preachers o
the present dry, for their texts ar,
never heard of after the reading o
them. In many cases any verse in tn
Bible would have suited their sermon
as well as the text they announced
but it is not so with this boy preacher
His text furnishes the ground worl
and foundation of his discourse.
He belongs to that peculiar sect know
t as "Soul Sleepers." The doctrin
that at the death of the body the sou
went into sleep and remained in tina
r condition until the final resurrection
. when it would be united with the bod
, obtained an early fOOthOld among tn
: followers of Christ, and numbere
l. among them many earnest advocates
One thing lis certain, there is not
preacher in indianapolis who woul
not gladly father his sermons. He ha
recently delivered two lectures in Mad
ison before large and cultivated aud
0 ences-one on temperance and tn
y other on the history and character {
% the Jewish race-that were marveli
$, and won the unbounded applause {
the audiences. Like his sermons, h
g lectures were models of style, dictioI
h and eloquence, while that on the Jew
e ish race displayed an erudition tht
y astOnished every one. AS said befOr
+ the language he uses is that of one VIII
/ has thought long and well, and VII
If has had the aid of scholastic trainin
e and extensive reading. Now, wher
does this boy get all this? He has ha
no education and has had no opportI
K. nifty for extensive reading. In fact hi
chances of information from readin
have been very limited. Are the Sc
mons and lectures his, or are they Il
product of some mature and magni
Gently developed mind, committed
memory by him? 1t is a puzzling que